Friday

29th Mar 2024

Agenda

Enlargement in the spotlight this WEEK

  • No EU talks with Turkey have taken place for three years (Photo: svenwerk)

The European Commission will this week unveil its annual report on the state of further enlargement of the EU.

The report will examine progress made by places hoping to the join the 28-member bloc, including the Western Balkans (Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania, Bosnia and Kosovo) and Turkey.

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Although Croatia joined the EU in July, the whole process has been marked by a slowing down in momentum as member states concentrate on their own economic problems.

There continues to be a stalemate with Turkey with EU governments, such as Germany and Austria, not particularly keen on having it as a member. Ankara, for its part, vascillates between saying it is no longer interested in joining and berating the EU for the lack of positive signals.

No new areas of membership negotiations have been opened for three years.

Meanwhile, Iceland, another candidate for EU membership, has broken off negotiations amid waning popular enthusiasm for the move and a bitter dispute with Brussels over managing its fish stocks.

Negotiations will next week continue on reform of the EU's regional aid policy.

MEPs dislike plans to make macro-economic conditionality a part of the reforms, fearing that regions will be punished for central governments' failure to adhere to EU budget rules. They also dislike proposals to withhold a percentage of aid until projects are completed.

While these negotiations continue, the overall multi-annual budget (2014-2021) cannot be agreed either.

EU finance ministers will meet on Tuesday (15 October) to discuss the ongoing construction of a banking union, seen as an essential foundation for the euro. One of the topics is a single resolution mechanism - how to wind up failing banks.

However, little progress is expected either on Tuesday or at a euro finance ministers' meeting on Monday evening as Germany - the EU's most influential state - is still in government coalition talks.

The commission, for its part, is keen to pressure member states into actually carrying out the economic, social and labour recommendations it makes each year as part of the "European Semester."

It is thinking of introducing a benchmarking scheme to embarrass governments into being more responsive. The idea is due to be discussed amongst ministers on Tuesday.

Women's rights are on the agenda on Monday, when the European Parliament's gender equality and legal affairs committees vote on a proposal that would require that at least 40 percent of non-executive board members of EU-listed companies be women. The initiative is being championed by commission vice-president Viviane Reding, but it is already much weaker than her original ideas.

The civil liberties committee will also continue its probe into surveillance activities in the EU with public hearings on Monday and Thursday. The focus this week will be on national surveillance schemes in the Netherlands and Germany.

At the end of the week (20 October), Luxembourgers will go to the polls.

Early elections were called during the summer after the state intelligence service (SREL) was accused of illegally spying on citizens and MPs. Current prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker, already the EU's longest serving PM with 18 years under his belt, is running again.

Opinion

Happy Anniversary? EU-Turkey relations at age 50

Half a century has passed since the signing of the Ankara agreement. Yet today there is neither fireworks nor meaningful debate about the future of EU-Turkey relations.

EU leaders in Brussels this WEEK

EU heads of state will gather for a two-day summit in Brussels to discuss growth as MEPs in Strasbourg defer a scheduled vote on the seven-year EU budget until November.

Environment, Ukraine imports, fish and Easter this WEEK

This week, expect no more than talks on environment, agriculture and fisheries, including discussions between the Polish and Ukrainian governments over angry protests by Polish farmers objecting to cheap grain imports from Ukraine.

EU summit, Gaza, Ukraine, reforms in focus this WEEK

This week, EU leaders come together in Brussels for their usual two-day summit to discuss defence, enlargement, migration and foreign affairs. EU ministers for foreign affairs and EU affairs will meet earlier in the week to prepare the European Council.

EU summit prep work and von der Leyen's Egypt visit This WEEK

MEPs will hold a debate with EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen about the next European Council on Tuesday. Later this week, on Sunday, von der Leyen will be in Egypt for talks regarding a potential 'cash-for-migrant-control' deal.

Opinion

EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania

Among the largest sources of financing for energy transition of central and eastern European countries, the €60bn Modernisation Fund remains far from the public eye. And perhaps that's one reason it is often used for financing fossil gas projects.

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